Pune fort murder: Fiancee, lover push groom-to-be into gorge, pass it off as accident

Mangalore Today News Network

Pune, Jun 24, 2026: What initially appeared to be a tragic trekking accident at a historic hill fort in Maharashtra has now turned into a suspected murder conspiracy, with police arresting a Pune woman and her alleged lover over the death of her fiancee, a 26-year-old real estate director.

Ketan Vishal Agrawal died after falling nearly 400 feet into a gorge at Lohagad Fort near Pune on June 18. At the time, police treated the case as an accidental death after his fiancee, Siya Goyal, told investigators that he had slipped while taking photographs during an outing amid strong winds.

But investigators now say the fall was anything but accidental.

Agarwal, a resident of Gahunje and director of a family-run real estate business, was due to marry Goyal later this year. Family members had already begun extensive wedding preparations, including booking a palace in Udaipur, Rajasthan, for the ceremony.

According to Pune Rural Police, inconsistencies in the circumstances surrounding the death prompted a deeper investigation.

"Our teams examined multiple angles, including financial disputes and personal relationships. During the probe, police allegedly found that Goyal was in a relationship with another man, identified as Chetan Babulal Chaudhary (22), a resident of Kondhwa in Pune," Superintendent of Police Sandip Singh Gill said.

Investigators allege that Goyal did not want to marry Agarwal and viewed him as an obstacle to her relationship with Chaudhary.

Police say the pair then conspired to kill him.

According to investigators, Goyal persuaded Agarwal to visit Lohagad Fort, a popular trekking destination linked to the history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and recognised as part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing of Maratha forts.

Chaudhary was allegedly called to the location later, and the two then pushed Agarwal into the gorge, police said.

The case took a decisive turn after the local crime branch detained Chaudhary for questioning.

During interrogation, investigators alleged that Chaudhary admitted that he and Goyal had planned to eliminate Agarwal because he had become an obstacle to their relationship.

Goyal was later arrested based on information that emerged during the questioning, police said.

"Following a complaint lodged by Ketan’s father, Vishal Agarwal, the Lonavala rural police registered a case of murder and criminal conspiracy under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on Tuesday," Gill said.

Speaking to PTI Videos, Ketan’s father Vishal Agarwal said, "When the police came with my son’s body, Siya did not show any reaction. There was no sadness on her face."

He further alleged that Siya had earlier sabotaged a planned pre-wedding trip to Bali.

According to him, Siya, Ketan, her brother and Ketan’s sister were travelling to Mumbai airport for a flight to Indonesia, carrying all four passports in a single pouch.

"At a food mall in Lonavala, Siya returned to the car on the pretext of fetching her phone. When they later reached the airport, Ketan’s passport was missing from the pouch, forcing them to cancel the trip," Agarwal claimed.

He said that after the trip to Bali was cancelled, Siya fought with Ketan and insisted that they go to Lohagad.

"On June 14, Siya and Ketan had gone to the same spot at Lohagad Fort from where he was later pushed. At the time, he managed to save himself by holding on to nearby bushes.

When Ketan realised he had been pushed, Siya raised a false alarm about a snake and claimed she had pushed him only to protect him.

Looking back, I believe there was an attempt to kill Ketan even on June 14," Agarwal alleged.

He further said he suspected the Goyal family was aware of the conspiracy from the beginning and may have played a role in it.

Agarwal also claimed that the Goyal family had approached them with a marriage proposal and insisted that Siya and Ketan make a good match.

Ketan had completed an MS in Entrepreneurship, while Siya held a degree in commerce from a private college.

Police say the investigation remains ongoing as officers work to establish the exact sequence of events, gather forensic evidence and determine whether any other individuals were involved in the alleged conspiracy.